Coal Ash: A Civil Rights Issue

The document contends that the U.S. EPA has failed to protect minority and low-income Americans from coal ash pollution, the second largest source of industrial waste in the U.S. It argues that the 2014 coal ash rule is insufficient because it places the burden of enforcement on citizens and allows the continued use of dangerous, unlined coal ash lagoons, which are predominantly located in vulnerable neighborhoods. The text calls for immediate EPA action, including drinking water testing and technical assistance for affected communities, to address these civil rights and public health disparities.

• Coal ash is the second largest source of industrial waste in the United States, consisting of toxic waste from coal-burning power plants.
• The EPA's 2014 coal ash rule is criticized for placing the responsibility for enforcement on citizens rather than government regulators and for permitting the continued operation of dangerous coal ash lagoons, which are mostly situated in minority and low-income areas.
• Unlined coal ash lagoons pose significant risks, including the slow poisoning of drinking water aquifers and the potential for catastrophic failures that threaten lives and property.
• The electric utility industry delayed the implementation of federal coal ash rules for over 30 years by seeking exemptions from waste disposal regulations.
• While the EPA is required by executive order to assess and address the unequal impacts of coal ash pollution, it has so far only documented these disparate impacts without taking corrective action.

APA

Earthjustice (2016). Coal Ash: A Civil Rights Issue. https://earthjustice.org/article/coal-ash-a-civil-rights-issue

Chicago

Earthjustice. Coal Ash: A Civil Rights Issue. 2016. https://earthjustice.org/article/coal-ash-a-civil-rights-issue.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Coal Ash: A Civil Rights Issue |date=3 February 2016 |url=https://earthjustice.org/article/coal-ash-a-civil-rights-issue |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2016coal, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Coal Ash: A Civil Rights Issue}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://earthjustice.org/article/coal-ash-a-civil-rights-issue}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }